Brilliant
by AB-maybecrazy
Summary: So this is based on Season 1 Episode 6. I felt some people had to know that it really was Claire's brilliant idea - including her.


**So this is based on Season 1 Episode 6. I felt some people had to know that it really was Claire's brilliant idea - including her. **

**I DO NOT OWN ANY ‚THE GOOD DOCTOR' CHARACTERS OR STORYLINES!**

**No Beta, all mistakes are mine.**

„It wasn't your idea!" Melendez said, for the second time, very literally rubbing it under Claire's nose. It infuriated her to no end. As if only Shaun could think outside the box, as if only Shaun was capable of coming up with a game plan, as if only Shaun was brilliant. Sure he was insanely smart and neither Claire nor Jared would dare to deny that, but that didn't automatically mean they were stupid.

If only Melendez knew, how much Claire herself was able to teach the young Genius. As much as it had pissed her off, being punished for sticking up for him, it also made her feel proud. She was the one Shaun came to if he had questions or needed help concerning communication or social interaction. And while she didn't see herself as a n expert in that area, it did help her self-confidence.

Something she really needed in this competitive field.

„Maybe he said something, and then you said something and together…"

She couldn't believe it. Not even two hours ago, Melendez had asked her to think more like Shaun and when she does he suddenly doesn't want to believe it.

That comment had made her angry at Shaun simply for existing. She wasn't easily jealous, but seeing that guy, the so called genius, the man who could do no wrong, steal her chair to be first on the computer somehow crossed a boundary. But then again, her principles intervened and she let him have it and before she knew it, the innocent, too smart for his own good-mind had made all that anger disappear. She just couldn't stay mad at him for very long. Like the little brother she never had, whose puppy-dog eyes were the only force she couldn't withstand. And then of course there was the sort of team-work abilities they'd accomplished while driving four hours through California with a human liver in a Slushy-filled cooler. Once she'd figured out how to talk to him, they became like ping and pong, saving the liver and saving a life. And know they had the chance to save a leg and save a life. Just that this time, it had been her idea. Something a certain doctor just didn't want to believe for the life of him.

„My idea, the brilliant idea is a hundred percent mine, why is that a problem for you." She interrupted, not hiding her disappointment in the slightest. But she had regained her composure quickly. It wouldn't be the first time her mentor, willing or not, shut the door on her rising self confidence. She usually respected his methods, not wasting any time with unnecessary sugarcoating, but every now and then, she really did have the impression he doubted her intellect.

However Claire Brown wasn't one to give up, never was and never would be. She made it this far with more obstacles than she could count and she would certainly not give up because of some arrogant, close-minded, albeit undoubtedly handsome, superior. He was right about one thing though: He did know her for six month, which is why he should also know about her incredible persuasion skills. And so however hard Melendez tried to deny her input into the very brilliant idea - _her _very brilliant idea - she knew he'd at least agree to go through with it. And _that _was one hundred percent her doing.

— — —

_OR, replacement of a shattered femur:_

„Is it good to go?" Melendez asked, looking at his young resident who had yet to pass him probably the first ever titanium femur. Shaun stared at it in awe with that far away look he got when he let go of the outside world and got completely engulfed into his own mind.

„It's very good." He finally stated proudly, handing it over.

Melendez himself weighed it for a second before placing it under the patient's kneecap. It was indeed a rather stunning model. Strong but not too heavy. It could really work. Melendez found himself once again admiring the young doctor's ideas. _Though of course, this one was Claire's._ Neil couldn't help but joke to himself. She did seem rather persistent in her claim, but as he himself had said, he knew her for 6 month and while she was certainly very skilled, she wasn't Shaun. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, it simply meant, that she went for the safest course, sticked to standard procedure and confirmed with a more experienced doctor before taking any risks. As much as Shaun annoyed him sometimes, his ability to think outside the box was something the other two could learn from. The fact that Claire then claimed to have an amazing but rather risky idea right after Melendez had told her to think more like Murphy, was just too suspicious. On the other hand, Claire wasn't the type to willingly take credit for someone else's good work…

„Check for capillary refill." The senior doctor instructed, when the new bone was placed and the clamps removed.

„Blood flow is restored. EKG is normal." Murphy confirmed with just the slightest hint of pride in his voice.

With his leg getting enough blood, Marco was out of the immediate danger zone, putting the whole surgery team a little more at ease and Melendez just couldn't shake the need to find out.

„That was great idea, the titanium femur." He started.

„Yes it was." Shaun said.

Not getting the answer he'd hoped for, Neil continued: „Yes it was one of your less crazy ones." He tried, unsure whether this would really get him far with Shaun.

„My ideas aren't crazy, just difficult to fulfill sometimes." Again, the answer was not what the senior wanted, but Shaun wasn't finished: „The new femur wasn't my idea though."

„It wasn't?" Melendez asked genuinely surprised.

„No", Shaun said. „It was Claire's." And just like that, Neil Melendez realized what a jerk he was. There was no denying it anymore, Shaun was neither capable nor willing to lie, meaning Claire was telling the truth and Neil had blown her off. _Way to go, teacher. _He berated himself.

With a silent sigh, he went on with closing up his patients leg, wondering if he'd screwed up enough that he actually needed to apologize to his only female resident. That wasn't really his thing.

„We should tell her it worked, I think she'd be happy." Murphy proposed, interrupting his thoughts.

„Yes." Neil said. „We should."

— — —

_End of the graveyard shift:_

Walking out of the hospital, Claire Brown felt nothing anymore. She was completely numb, unable to process what had happened just hours ago. She didn't recognize her surroundings, didn't acknowledge the people passing by. It felt like walking through a bad dream, desperately looking for an exit. And Claire was looking for an exit. That exit was to forget. Forget everything that happened, everything she did, or better yet, turn back the time. Turn it back to right before she inserted the tube, because she knew, she _knew _exactly what she should have done. She had done that a million times it was so basic and the one time when it really counted, she screwed it up. And after she finally exited that god forsaken building, her numbness took away the last drop of strength she had left, and she found herself sitting on the nearest bench just staring into the night. The night when all went wrong. So lost in that empty feeling that would soon enough give space to the train of realization and grief that would follow, that she didn't acknowledge the person taking a seat next to her.

A moment of silence passed, the time that it took Shaun to build up the courage and start the conversation. A conversation outside of the hospital would have potential risk to veer into a direction he didn't feel comfortable in. Unlike other people, there were a lot more uncomfortable directions for Shaun than comfortable ones. But he trusted Claire not to push him towards anything he didn't like. She was very good with people. There was a lot he could learn from her.

He turned his head slightly to look at her, as he had learned normal people do: look at each other. He didn't understand why. What was so important of a person's face, when all that mattered was their speech. But Steve had taught him early on, that sometimes he just had to follow those unwritten rules without understanding them.

When he saw the side of her face, he was surprised, she didn't look back at him as she usually would. Her eyes looked straight ahead and her mouth was a thin line. There were no wrinkles indicating a frown of confusion or marks of concentration. Maybe she was tired. Or maybe just thinking. Wouldn't it be rude, to interrupt her thoughts then? Yet, Shaun didn't want to wait until tomorrow to tell her what he had to say.

„The femur worked. Your idea was good." He simply stated, but she gave him no reaction. Maybe, Shaun thought, she didn't receive what he had said. He needed to reassure her more, like Dr. Glassman had told him once, make sure that she understands what he is saying. „You were right, there was another option to save Marco's leg and it was your idea." Still nothing. „Good work."

At that, she finally moved, turning her head almost mechanically towards Shaun, her expression hardening and teardrops building up in her eyes, making Shaun wonder, what he did wrong to make her sad.

„Good work? Are you telling me I did good work?" Claire asked, her tone a mix of disbelief and disgust.

„Y-Yes." Shaun answered a bit unsure, unable to understand her behavior.

„I lied to a patient about her wife's well-being, I screwed up a woman's intubation and killed her, I operated for 4 hours on the dead body I was responsible for and then you tell me I did good work?" She choked out, her throat closing up with the dreaded grief while she spoke, her vision turning blurry from the tears and her mind finally releasing all those horrible thoughts of self-loathing and disgust upon her. On any other day, Shaun would be the last one she would burden with her emotional problems but today wasn't any other day. Today was the day she caused another human beings death and Shaun of all people was now simply the one in the target.

„You did a mistake, I understand…" He started, but was cut off immediately.

„No, you don't understand, how could you? You don't even know what's going through my head right now, it's all just … data you have to analyze first, you don't know why I am sad and angry and frustrated and you certainly don't know how that feels, because you would _never _screw up like that." She had to take a breath. „You, the perfect little genius, who could perform a whole surgery on the floor of a crowded airport with nothing but a tube a knife and some alcohol. Whatever you do it's somehow perfect, unless of course it involves, talking or feelings or simple human emotions, but that doesn't matter because scaring patients doesn't kill them, you know what does? Perforating their windpipe with an intubation tube." Another breath. „And I'm sure, you know what that means, it means instead of saving a 32 year old woman, I managed to make her death even more cruel and painful, I mean how can I call myself a doctor, I literally killed someone and …" She put her hands over her face, trying to regain some form of composure by taking more deep breaths. She leaned forward so her elbows could rest on her knees and simply closed her eyes. „Look I'm sorry, I know this is hard for you to see, but I'm a mess right now and I'd really like to be alone." She finished.

There was a moment pause and Claire thought Shaun had left, until he suddenly spoke.

„It's not hard to see." He started. „You are yelling at me angrily without it being my fault, meaning it is someone else's and since I am not the primary target, you'd rather I leave before you hurt me. Then you can think about how to stop being angry. But I don't think you're angry, I think you're sad." He concluded. „You're crying."

Claire sighed, where she'd usually laugh. „Yes Shaun, I am sad."

„Because you made a mistake."

„Yes, because I made a big mistake."

„That's okay." Shaun said.

„No, it's not." Claire let her hands fall between her knees in exasperation, looking back at Shaun. „It's not okay, my actions caused someone else's life. You've never done that before."

Another pause.

„I have." Now it was Shaun's turn to avoid eye contact, while Claire stared at him. „It is not a causal relationship, but if I follow the events backwards it comes down to me." He started, then took a deep breath. „My father didn't like me, because I'm different. I made a lot of mistakes and he would always yell. I didn't like that, it was scary and I didn't want to answer him, so I played with my rabbit. It calmed me down. But my father didn't like, that I didn't answer him, so he killed my rabbit. If I had answered him, he wouldn't have done that and my brother and I wouldn't have run away. If we wouldn't have run away, we wouldn't have played in the old house and of we wouldn't have played in the old house, he wouldn't have fallen down the train and died." There was a moment pause, but Claire didn't want to interrupt. „I know it is wrong to think his death was my fault, but I cannot stop thinking, that he would have had an easier life without me."

„But Shaun, neither you nor your brother asked for your condition. It wasn't your fault." Claire said, sympathetically.

„Maybe not, but the mistakes I make are my fault."

„Everybody makes mistakes, Shaun, it's what makes us human. The important thing is, that we learn from them."

Slowly, Shaun turned his head to her. A shadow of a smile on his face. „I know." He simply said and then stood up to catch the arriving bus. Before he entered, he turned around a last time, one foot in the doorframe, to keep it from closing, he said: „My brother always said, when you do something wrong, you often forget the things you do right. You did something wrong and someone died. But you also did something right and someone lived."

And then he was inside the bus and drove away, leaving Claire sitting on the bench with all her dark thoughts from before - and just the tiniest of lights shining through.

**I know this last scene could have just as well been a Claire-Melendez scene, but I sticked to Shaun - hope you don't mind.**


End file.
